Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Terms of Reference for the BBC Funding Review Panel allow the Panel to consider all the funding options contained in the 6th report of the DCMS Select Committee of session 2019-21, and in the annex to that report.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Terms of Reference for the BBC Funding Model Review set out that the Government wants the BBC to continue to succeed as a Public Service Broadcaster long into the future, providing high quality public service content on a universal basis.
As the Terms of Reference make clear, the review will be looking at a range of models for funding the BBC to ensure it is fair to licence fee payers, sustainable for the long term and supports the BBC’s vital role in growing the creative industries. This will include looking at options to reform the licence fee, and how the BBC can increase its commercial revenues. Given pressure on household incomes, the Secretary of State has explicitly ruled out this review looking at creating any new taxes.
The findings of the review will support the Government’s views on the future funding of the BBC. Any final decision on reforming the BBC’s funding model would be taken at Charter Review.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the BBC on ensuring that it advertises its upcoming consultation on reforming the licence fee post-2028 to help ensure the public's views are adequately represented.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers meet with senior BBC officials regularly to discuss a range of issues. Those discussions include how the BBC is delivering on its obligations, which includes a general duty to engage with the public. The BBC is operationally independent, and therefore questions on how it engages public views and runs consultations are a matter for the BBC itself.
As required by the Charter, the Government will consult the public as part of the forthcoming Charter Review process, where any decisions on reforming the licence fee post-2027 will be made and implemented.
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0012 - Future funding of the BBC World Service Association for International Broadcasting Written
Mentions:
1: David Rutley (Con - Macclesfield) chairman and I have agreed the “objectives, priorities and targets” (OPTs) for the BBC World Service - Speech Link
Feb. 22 2024
Source Page: Dr Samir Shah CBE is confirmed as the new BBC ChairFound: Dr Samir Shah CBE is confirmed as the new BBC Chair
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0007 - Future funding of the BBC World Service Erskine Analysis Written Evidence
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0003 - Future funding of the BBC World Service University of Sassari, Sardinia, Italy Written Evidence
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the BBC Funding Model Review Expert Panel intends to consider the funding options contained in the 1st Report of the Communications and Digital Committee Session 2022–23 Licence to change: BBC Future Funding.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government believes that there are challenges regarding the sustainability of the BBC’s current funding model, and is therefore conducting a review of it. The panel informing that review will provide independent expertise and advice to the Government.
The review is assessing a range of options for funding the BBC, including a number of the options contained in the Communications and Digital Committee’s report, ‘Licence to change: BBC Future Funding’. Given pressure on household incomes, the Secretary of State has explicitly ruled out the review looking at creating any new taxes.
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0005 - Future funding of the BBC World Service University of Oxford Written Evidence
Written Evidence May. 23 2024
Inquiry: Future funding of the BBC World ServiceFound: BBC0008 - Future funding of the BBC World Service International Broadcasting Trust Written Evidence